Ep 106 Human Hibernation

Mountain Zen Den Podcast

Welcome to the Mountain!

Every season has its purpose and has something to teach us.

The Dead of Winter – Teaches us about Hibernation & Dormancy

Dormancy:

1. The state of having normal physical functions suspended or slowed for a period of time.
2. The state of being temporarily inactive or inoperative

-Dormancy is when living things such as plants are awaiting the necessary environmental conditions such as temperature, moisture, nutrient availability, etc.

4 TYPES OF DORMANCY

1. Hibernation – low metabolic rate, reduced heart rate, slow breathing and lowered body temperature.
2. Obligate hibernators– can sleep regardless of access to food and temperatures.

Ex. European Hedgehogs, mouse lemurs, various ground squirrels & butterflies

• Facultative hibernators– hibernate when it’s too cold and the food supply decreased Ex. Black-tailed prairie dogs

(Bears, squirrels, groundhogs, marmots, skunks, raccoons, opossums, dormice and bats are examples of mammals that hibernate.)

• Diapause – (Observed in all life stages of arthropods, like insects, common during egg and pupa stages. Marker by lower metabolic activity.)
• Aestivation – (desert plants & animals- low rainfall and high temps i.e. “dry heat”)
• Brumation- Dormancy in reptiles (only wake up to drink water and then go back to sleep) Can last 8 months. Triggered by decrease in daylight hours. (e.g. Snakes)

Just like us, plants are deeply affected by temperature and sunlight. Plant growth slows as the day length slows, thus commencing the dormancy process.

In today’s show we discuss the idea of slowing down in the winter. Instead of fighting these feelings of being a little more tired than usual, we invite you to get into the flow with Nature and slow down a bit…go dormant, as much as possible until spring when there is more sunlight and the days start to grow longer. And… use this dormant time to look back at past failures and successes and plan for future outings and hikes and camping trips, and other adventures!